About Us

A History in Retail and Baking

The business has been built on family and pride in our products. Inspiration came from Breda and James O’Hehir. Breda discovered a passion for baking when she was quite young and continued baking throughout her married life to her husband James. The O’Hehir children fondly remember racing home from school every day to not only fresh-baked bread but also a special dessert treat, such as her irresistible apple sponge, baked to perfection by their mother.

Breda was well-known for her wedding and occasion cakes featuring intricate icing designs, all made from scratch. This tradition continues today in the busy Sligo bakery. James O’Hehir had a strong business background and formed the foundation for the first café and the business as it grew, throughout those first formative years.

The business started in 1984, in one Sligo location and continues today in 19 locations employing over 300 of the best local talent all across Ireland. All the family helped to get it started with everything from peeling apples to deliveries to working in the shops. Hands-on help came from children Michael, Eddie, Jacqueline, Enda and Jim, who continue their mother’s high standards in baking and food production.

We use the best Irish ingredients

O’Hehirs use Irish products where at all possible and include healthy options and a special gluten free range. So whether you enjoy a daily sandwich for lunch or pop in for a special treat in their cake and pastry range, know that you are supporting an Irish, family-run business which prides itself in the production of consistently high quality, fresh and tasty products from start to finish. The O’Hehir family is doing Breda and James proud by continuing what they started in her kitchen 30 years ago.

The cornerstones of a successful business are passion, pride and good business sense. O’Hehirs have all three in abundance. It’s no mean feat to succeed and thrive in any industry over three decades.

Why O’Hehirs?

When you step into O’Hehirs, you are stepping into the O’Hehir family kitchen - where quality foods have been freshly made every day for the last thirty years. O’Hehirs is one of the very few businesses in Ireland which produces every single product in a central location. Every O’Hehirs bread roll, pastry or sandwich ingredient is produced in our Sligo bakery and kitchen and delivered to all locations bearing the O’Hehir name. O’Hehirs is also a great supporter of Irish businesses, using local suppliers wherever possible.

Daily baking and cooking begins each evening at 6pm with goods loaded onto trucks in the early hours of the morning for their journey to O’Hehirs locations nationwide. Family members oversee all aspects of the business including operations, production and deliveries, just as it did in 1984.